PDGA Sanctioned Disc Golf Leagues

With many local clubs already offering leagues in their respective areas, the PDGA wants to give these clubs the opportunity to sanction their league similar to how many tournaments are currently sanctioned. By sanctioning any new or existing leagues through the PDGA, there will be a plethora of added benefits and features for the players and clubs involved. Arguably, the most appealing benefit is the addition of PDGA player ratings to the equation. While some leagues have formulated their own system of ratings and standings, by sanctioning your league, these ratings become uniform with the system utilized by the PDGA. League rounds will be calculated in conjunction with any tournament ratings one may receive to compile a comprehensive player rating.

PDGA League Benefits

The benefits of sanctioning your league through the PDGA include but are not limited to the following:

Each PDGA member will receive an official rating from each league round attended that will be included in that player’s total average rating.

All ratings are unofficial until the TD report is submitted following the completion of the league.

All unofficial ratings can be viewed in the league results section of the PDGA website.

Non-members can view their unofficial ratings online throughout the duration of the league; however, these ratings will disappear following the completion of the league if a PDGA membership is not acquired.

Sanctioned leagues can offer handicap events that are very appealing to the recreational player.

By receiving ratings, it will help players to determine which player division they are best suited for in sanctioned tournaments.

PDGA members will receive PDGA points, which is the primary criterion for earning an invitation to World Championship events.

There are numerous formats available for play, which can be decided at the Tournament Director’s discretion.

Club Benefits

The PDGA believes that providing league play to each respective area is a great avenue for strengthening not only each local disc golf club, but also the sport of disc golf in general. We also realize that these leagues could not function without the countless hours put forth from each club. This is why we have put forth multiple benefits for clubs that provide a sanctioned league. These benefits include:

Half of each $1 minimum mandated player fee stays with the facilitating club of the league for expenses such as course improvements or new baskets, charitable donations, or other avenues that will help the sport of disc golf continue to thrive and grow. (League Director can charge additional league fees at their discretion to go towards payouts, prizes, ace funds, or league costs.)

Exposure and advertising for your league through PDGA.com

Starting a PDGA League

When preparing to sanction your league, there are few factors to take into consideration. Leagues can range anywhere from 6-10 weeks, and each sanctioned league consists of one round, on the same day, per week. If desired, multiple leagues can be run on multiple days per week, but must be sanctioned and reported as separate leagues.

Staying consistent with sanctioned tournaments, each league round requires a minimum of 3 propagators in order for the round to receive unofficial ratings, and every participant must play the SAME course and SAME layout. For now, all leagues must be singles play; however different formats are being explored such as global leagues, team leagues, and doubles leagues.

Anyone interested in becoming a League Director can contact the PDGA office with any additional questions that may arise.

League Directors

The PDGA believes in keeping the process as simple as possible for our League Directors. The cost to sanction a league is only $25 US. Each League Director will be able access our PDGA League Director Spreadsheet online. This spreadsheet will allow a club to track the results of a league automatically, and following submission, each member will be able to view the results on the event page on PDGA.com. This simplified TD report is an Excel spreadsheet, and will track names and scores for easy uploading to the website. This spreadsheet also allows for more detailed stats such as hole-by-hole scores, win/loss record and more for the dedicated and statistic-loving League Directors.

The growth of the sport of disc golf is highly strengthened through grassroots marketing. By giving the home town recreational players an opportunity to participate in a sanctioned event every week, it allows those with jobs, families, and responsibilities at home to still remain an active PDGA member. Through this platform, the “hometown hero” will have the opportunity to gain consistent ratings and see how they match up against the top pros worldwide.

If you love this idea, and want to see the PDGA and disc golf continue its rapid growth into the future, we highly encourage you to start your own PDGA sanctioned league in your respective area.